Tokyo menswear mecca Heather Grey Wall just added a selection of Spring/Summer goods from Cash CA to their online/in-store selection. Cash CA has been steadily putting out top-quality product at a reasonable price point for the past few seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Designer Kazuki Kuraishi has taken the brand from being knitwear focused to a full collection that mixes English heritage with Japanese attention to detail.

02DERIV is a new sub-line from Japanese brand Master-Piece that is a little more youthful and active compared to it’s mainline cousin. The lookbook has a distinct cali feel, fusing elements of surf culture with aesthetics borrowed from safari style. The styling and photography really elevate the presentation of the line with standout pieces being the technical shells and the pocketed pastel oxfords. Also found in the line are boardshorts are all-over print sneakers. So often the sunny cali vibe used in a lookbook can look cliché , but it really compliments the line instead of detracting from it in this case.

The homie Wilbert Cooper hosts this brand show titled Noisey Raps. See live footage from the Long Live A$AP tour mixed in with candid behind the scenes interviews with A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, A-Trak and Schoolboy Q. There’s some fashion easter eggs in this clip see if you can peep the Rick Owens and Junya Watanabe jawnz in this clip.

I was invited on-air for last weeks Fresh Out the Box Episode by hosts Geng-Grizzly and Note D and had a blast talking shit on the radio with them. I took these snaps of rapper Rome Fortune and producer Childish Major. They’re real humble , talented dudes from Atlanta and I gaurantee you’ll be hearing much more buzz from them in the coming months. Rome Fortune’s mixtape Beautiful Pimp drops next month so look out for that. Shoutout to Slushie King as well, dude doesn’t slip on his managerial duties AT ALL.If you missed the live airing you can download the archival episode HERE.

I came across this sci-fi inspired photo series by Polish photographer Dominik Smialowski. The series is the result of a collaboration between Dominik and artist Joanna Pawłowska. I love photo work that has a cinematic quality to it, and the aesthetic of these images is reminiscent of sci-fi films such as Moon, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Prometheus and the upcoming Oblivion. You can see more images after the jump and see more of Dominik’s work on his official website.

Geng Grizzly wears many hats and his personal style is representative of his many hustles. Geng runs PTP (Purple Tape Pedigree) a hip-hop blog that will put you on to what you should be hearing (not what everyone else is playing). On top of that he’s got a fledging record label, Live From The Kitchen Recordings that is sure to be making tons of (bass ridden) noise this year. On top of all that you may have heard me make some guest appearances on his radio show Fresh Out the Box along with co-host Note D (check his style profile HERE).

For these style profiles, I really look for individuals doing their own thing outside of what the trends of the moment may be. In the case of Geng, he breaks more sartorial rules than he follows but stays true to his roots and passions. His style in complex in a way that the average passerby or fashionista might not notice. Geng is someone who is not just wearing the clothes, he’s living in them.

Back when I was a kid, I had a clean pair of velcro Nike “Uptowns”…lowtops in white with a black check and black sole. I have the photo to prove it. I was also wearing a denim sweatsuit with red trim in said photo. While I feel like I have since struggled to replicate that level of splashiness, at least the core concepts have stuck through the years. I done swapped the denim suit for one of French terry cotton persuasion and dress for comfort, contrast, and construction. Triple C’s.…yahmean?!

Now I tend to build an outfit around a well-made, timeless piece, and decorate it with things from the “other side,” whether that means pairing up the vintage mountaineering with the “high fashion,” or jumping between the lanes of core function with active wear and military/factory worker garb. Growing up in NYC, especially Manhattan, played a huge role. If you cared at all, your mission was to find a way to stick out from the pack of thousands rocking on the same type of shit. Some do it in a real “I look like Grace Jones-meets-Rufio from Hook and I am fine with that” kind of way, while others try to be a bit less outlandish with it. I usually favor the more subtle approach of putting multiple worlds together and over the years have come to better grasp how to do so by playing with the finer details like fabric weight and texture.

Has hip-hop influenced your personal style? What about its impact on your life in general?

By junior high, say ’92-93, I was able to start buying my own clothes and really try to get fly like our rap idols. We were all into the North Face/Helly Hansen/Columbia/Nautica/Polo/Guess/Nike/Timberland shit because that was what we saw in the videos, magazines, and album covers/liner notes. I was a Boot Camp Clik (Black Moon, Smif n Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, etc.) fanatic so I stayed rugged and utilitarian in military anoraks, my pops’ M-65 (early 70’s – ‘Nam), fatigues, and gore-tex boots. The impact of hip-hop (as a New Yorker who had about 16 years of life before the Internet touched down) wasn’t really thought about, it just WAS. As young adults, you either walked it or you tried really hard to do so (rarely to favorable results, as you can imagine). Every borough had its own angle on style in general (from slang to preferred brands and sneakers that they’d rock). It was all in the rap music…and we drank wild 40’s of O.E. and plastic cups of Henny because of it.

How did Fresh out the Box Radio and PTP come to be? Can you share a key experience or lesson from your time spent on these areas.

Purple Tape Pedigree was born in 2009. I used to post often-forgotten hip-hop and hardcore/metal videos on Facebook and folks would pop up like, “start a blog…it’s free and you probably have really cool stories to share.” I eventually did. By late 2010, rap started to get really interesting again and I began posting mostly current releases on PTP. By 2011, my ace Note (or James, as previously featured on this fine website) was in the mix. He not only helped with the daily posts (bringing in his expertise of the UK’s respective grime and road scenes), but he moved the site off of Blogspot and made the layout look all types of sexy. PTP wasn’t JUST us though, nothing ever is, so shout out to all of the invisible board members, silent investors, and loyal friends who have helped grow this into the mini-movement that it is today (air horn).

FOTB was part of the first wave of shows to be on BBOX Radio. Originally, I was going to be a DJ on Headless Heroes (Monday’s funk/soul show on BBOX), but then the idea of “new and progressive hip-hop” came up and we jumped at it. 16 months later, we’re still getting drunk on the air, playing new rap before it becomes the “new shit,” and talking crazy with rappers and brand ambassadors, alike.

I’d say the key experience is actually EXPERIENCE. Know your shit like you share a bed with it. Spend a lot of time practicing your craft before and after and don’t ever get caught bragging about it on Twitter. Finally, don’t over-think shit. If it feels right after running it through the various “Shit I’ve learned up until this point” and the “Shit I’ve heard about from more experienced people” tests…then go for it. Fuck it, it’s the Internet.

Philip Lim’s Spring/Summer collection was inspired by the mixing of Japanese and Brazilian culture in the nations capital Rio de Janiero. In particular these looks reference the marital arts subculture that exists in the country; a fighting style where capoeira mixes with karate. As Mr.Lim has done in recent seasons, he brings elegance to sportswear in this Spring/Summer collection. The end result? A collection of unfussy clothes that are meant to be lived in.

Director Alexander Basile presents this cinematic take on the Spring/Summer 2013 collection from Carhartt WIP (Work in Progress). Shot in Calabria, Naples and Bari the video uses the decaying architecture of 1960-90s as the backdrop for the collection.The story told through visuals revolves around the idea that strong friendship is needed to survive in a modern day metropolis.

Boris compliments this well-cut suit with a boots, a t-shirt and a rain-shell, adding a casual feel to an otherwise tailored look. The entire show revealed maturity and growth from the German designer and it ranks as one of his best to date.

Juun J

Juun was one of the designers championing a fuller cut this season and he executed it in style. The highlight of the show were pieces which were variants on the MA-1 design. Presented here with creative layer, an oversized turteneck and Duke Nukem army cut Juun shows he’s in strong form in 2013.

Damir Doma

A slightly slouchy silhouette mixed with a all grey tonal fit make this outfit worth considering for Fall. Damir is able to pull off a series of romantic AND wearable looks this collection. For FW13 he has refined his aeshetic and make it a little bit more accessible to men this season without losing the essence of his design style.

Rick Owens

Rick Owens has been a major influence in men’s fashion over the past 10 year and in that time created his own fashion universe. Here Rick presents a cleaned up minimal take on the goth-glam look that’s become his trademark. The belted samurai jacket returns with cleaner lines underneath his signiture leather pattern. Th personal highlight for me on this fit is the paneled leather pants but the whole thing just looks incredibly badass. It’s always a pleasure to see how Rick continues to evolve as a designer without every straying too far from his roots.

Dries Van Noten

Dries brings a more somber presentation for this fall/winter collection with a palette of earth tones and paisley prints. The quilted bomber here is something Dries executes so well. The minimal collar, slim but still puffy shape and patterned trousers put this look on my list.

Saint Laurent Paris Men’s

One of the most anticipated shows in Paris, Hedi sets out to prove that rock isn’t quite dead. I gave Hedi a hard time with his debut womenswear collection but I’m pretty pleased with his debut men’s showing. This look from the show is deceptively simple but it’s execution is spot-on for what Hedi wants to achieve. While many designers try to incorporate rock influences, this just looks the part effortlessly. The way it should always be in rock’n’roll.

Miharayasuhiro

The title of this collection is ‘Chinpira’ meaning ‘Punk’ celebrates a movement largely characterized by a concern for individual freedom and anti-establishment views. This stood out as one of my favorite collections all week as it struck a delicate balance between intricately crafted luxurious garments and subcultural styling. The above look has a yakuza feel and the glasses definitely Chow Yun Fat from John Woo’s The Killer in the best way possible.

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto is a master and he has once again put together a collection that any man would be lucky to have in their wardrobes. What I loved about this particular look was the cut of the camel overcoat and the little details fro the shape of the boots to the look of the pull over-hat. The leopard print hat and glued on mustaches of the models add a welcome dose of quirkiness and humor to an otherwise serious affair.

Junya Watanabe

Since his moto collection Junya hasn’t put a ton of black in his collections but this mostly-black look is Junya at his best. The washed out denim chore coat hung on the shoulders with the patchwork blazer underneath and the not too baggy/not too slim cropped trousers add up to a brilliant outfit.

Louis Vuitton

Kim Jones has really revitalized Louis Vuitton menswear and made the brand relevant again to fashionable guys worldwide. With looks like this, it’s easy to see why. The tonal plaid suit layered underneath the show-stopping shearling parka just looks incredible. The styling with the toque and t-shirt add just enough chav to keep these luxurious clothes from being only the domain of rich white men. I imagine this is how Eastern Promises would have looked with a larger wardrobe budget.